Abstract
The fermentation of cacao beans is an important process for the quality development. There is a variety of fermentation methods depending on the countries, areas, cultivars and so on. The object of this investigation is to study the composition of Indonesian cacao beans (Java Criollo) before, during and after the fermentation for total three days at two commercial plantations. The results were as follows. 1) Sucrose which is the main sugar component in the cacao beans decreased during the fermenta- tion. Gradually, pH value decreased and acid value increased in a day. 2) The content of alkylpyrazines which are the important flavor components in the cacao beans increased remarkably in 1 to 3 days. 3) The total polyphenol content did not change (6.5-7.4%) significantly during the fermentation. The(-)- epicatechin content did not change in 0 to 1 day but decreased slightly after 1 to 3 days. DPPH radical scavenging activity also decreased slightly during the fermentation.
